


1st Anniversary Crystal

by SolosOrca



Category: Tennis no Oujisama | Prince of Tennis
Genre: 'Prince of Tennis' is a talent agency and they're all idols, M/M, based on the first anniversary cards from Tenirabi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-31
Updated: 2020-05-31
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:35:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24471394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SolosOrca/pseuds/SolosOrca
Summary: The soft, tinny 'thump thump thump' drifted out from Echizen's headphones as he sprawled on the antique sofa, eyes shut, nodding slightly to the beat. Tezuka fiddled with his gloves, making sure they were on properly. Around them, other members of the Prince of Tennis Talent Agency milled around, getting ready for the First Anniversary Party filming. They would be flirting and dancing with 'a special guest', who was technically the viewer, but for them would be a camera.
Relationships: Echizen Ryouma/Tezuka Kunimitsu
Comments: 2
Kudos: 14





	1st Anniversary Crystal

**Author's Note:**

> This was for a zine based around tenirabi. I chose to do Tezuryo's first matching set of cards which are the princely outfits for the 1st anniversary.

The soft, tinny 'thump thump thump' drifted out from Echizen's headphones as he sprawled on the antique sofa, eyes shut, nodding slightly to the beat. Tezuka fiddled with his gloves, making sure they were on properly. Around them, other members of the Prince of Tennis Talent Agency milled around, getting ready for the First Anniversary Party filming. They would be flirting and dancing with 'a special guest', who was technically the viewer, but for them would be a camera.

It wasn't as if Tezuka was nervous. He had lost all his nerves about being filmed in the first month of Prince of Tennis. Anyway, acting like a prince guiding a lady through a party was far easier than authentically portraying mad tennis moves. But he hated waiting. He wished he could be like Echizen and relax without worrying about crumpling his outfit. Echizen could somehow manage to look better in a crumpled outfit than a pristine one. He, unfortunately, looked good in anything.

Tezuka's eyes mutinously glanced over to Echizen. His hair was pushed back out of his eyes, making him look even more handsome than usual. His traitorous eyes slid down the gentle curve of his nose and landed on the soft, pink lips.

Stupid. Tezuka scolded himself, pulling his eyes away to the set designers pushing a piano into place on the other side of the glittering ballroom. 

Extras were starting to arrive now, men in smart black suits and ladies in fantastic dresses in all the colours of the rainbow. Tezuka and his friends were in light grey suits, so to stand out against the crowd. 

"Echizen," the director called, "we need you over here."

Tezuka's eyes took control and he couldn't help but stare as Echizen pushed himself up and stretched. They traced themselves along his taut arms and down his neck. Tezuka's lips pined, betraying him as well as they wished to be pressed against that beautiful skin. Down Tezuka's eyes went further, down to the tight dark collar and the knot of his blue tie. Tezuka's fingers twitched, it would take much to hook his finger behind the knot and drag it down, give his lips access to more skin. 

He realised Echizen was staring at him.

"What?"

"You shouldn't sleep on set," Tezuka said sternly, hoping to cover his momentary weakness. 

Echizen got to his feet, smirking infuriatingly, "really? Well, I guess I let my guard down."

"You did.

"Echizen!" The director shouted.

"Coming, coming," Echizen sighed. He gave Tezuka one last knowing look and then left to film his scenes.

With somewhat a sigh of relief, Tezuka sat in Echizen's vacated seat. It was warm and Tezuka put a stop to all thoughts of it being 'Echizen's warmth'. 

He distracted himself watching the filming. Echizen, despite being, well, Echizen, managed to play the prince part well. His abrasive personality gave him the veneer of royalty. His good looks helped. 

Tezuka was proud to have Echizen in his acting team. He could be a brat at times, but when it came to it, he was professional and got the job done. Which he was doing now. Echizen didn't flub any of his lines and smoothly got through the opening portion of the film as he welcomed the POV camera to the party and guided her through the crowds until Atobe cut in to say his lines. 

When Echizen came sauntering back, he gave Tezuka a wink that made his insides go all mushy.

The grand piano was in the corner of the hall, in front of the band, it’s body gleaming. Tezuka sat on the red velvet stool, and stretched his fingers. When this whole event was dreamt up six months ago, Tezuka was sent to revive his middle school piano skills.

A recording of Tezuka playing the piece in a proper studio would be played over the footage, but it was a matter of pride that he got it right on the video. At least one of the fans must be able to play the piano and it would break the illusion if they noticed something wrong. 

“Off you go Tezuka,” The director said. Tezuka lay his fingers onto the keys and began playing.

He soon forgot that he was being filmed, focusing only on his fingers dancing across the ivory. As he got to the chorus, the band came in, adding grandeur. The footage would be intercut with the main character dancing with various actors, all complementing how pretty she was.

There was movement out of the corner of Tezuka’s eye and he glanced over to see Echizen coming to lean on the piano. Tezuka’s finger almost hit the wrong key as his heart rate sped up. 

_ Focus, _ he told himself sternly. No one would notice if Tezuka messed and and certainly no one would care. But Echizen was watching him. He was the captain of his team and he had to show he was worthy of the position. Echizen’s respect was hard won as the person with the most acting experience. But he respected Tezuka. And that was enough. Or, it should be.

He could feel Echizen’s intense stare on him- it was almost off putting. 

Echizen turned the page of Tezuka’s music. He needn’t have, Tezuka knew had committed the piece to muscle memory, but from the corner of his eye, Tezuka could see the director giving them a thumbs up.

Oh. Echizen was just playing to the camera.

The thought sunk like a lead weight in Tezuka’s chest.

Oh.

Why would Echizen like him anyway?

Oh.

Tezuka’s hand jerked onto the wrong key and he winced at the note as if it were a gunshot. He was being stupid.

The piece came to an end and Tezuka hurried off, making an excuse about wanting some air when Echizen opened his mouth to ask something.

The cold night air bit at Tezuka’s cheeks and fingertips and he shivered. It was a good distraction from the torment in his heart.

You never wanted to date anyone, he told himself, that’s why you became an idol! It was a benefit.

But Echizen and his gorgeous eyes and smirks had come in and shattered everything. Tezuka wasn’t one for describing things as unfair. Life was never fair, it was up to you to do your best and not let your guard down. But Echizen? Echizen was unfair.

He paced up and down, partly to keep warm but mostly out of frustration with himself. This was the behaviour of a teenage girl in a shojo manga, not a proud and rigid idol. He needed to snap out of this!

Back in the ballroom, the filming of the dancing had begun. Tezuka walked back through to find Atobe waltzing with a short staff member with a camera strapped to his forehead. It would be amusing if Tezuka’s brain and heart weren’t ripping themselves apart. He spotted Echizen and his stomach flipped. He forced himself to look away before Echizen caught his eye. 

Thankfully, Echizen was called to cut in and take over the dance from Atobe. Although Tezuka couldn’t stop the twinge of jealousy at the self insert girl who got to dance with Echizen. 

During rehearsals, Echizen had practiced with Tezuka

“You need to dance with someone smaller to practice,” he’d said matter-a-factly as he’d pulled Tezuka into hold.

He’d been really warm, Tezuka remembered. So warm Tezuka had come close to melting in his hands. Echizen had stepped on his toes a lot too, which looked to be happening on the dance floor too. The poor staff member.

Tezuka’s feet moved him closer and closer to the dance floor, unable to take his eyes off Echizen’s bad-but-pulling-it-off-beautifully dancing. 

A creak took Tezuka’s eyes up to the ceiling to the sparkling chandelier, a crystal mountain hanging from a thread. 

In a moment of sudden clarity, Tezuka knew exactly what was going to happen. The chandelier had just started falling when Tezuka started running out onto the dance floor. Silence engulfed him, his entire focus on getting Echizen to safety. He had no idea where the chandelier was when he reached the dancing ‘couple’. One arm wrapped around Echizen, the other pushing the staff member away as had as he could. He stumbled forward, pulling Echizen with him, as sound returned in a monumental shattering of a tonne of glass smashing into a wooden floor.

Tezuka fell to the floor, using his body to shield Echizen from the shards of glass searing through the air around them. He hugged the other man tight as the crashing and screaming continued around them.

And then. Silence again.

Tezuka’s ears were ringing, his heart pounding. He was suddenly away of thousands of pin pricks of pain all over his back and legs. 

“You are such an idiot!” The voice cut through the pain. He looked down and saw Echizen glaring up at him, tears in his eyes. He cupped Tezuka’s face in his hands. “Idiot!”

It was like being given a gold medal.

* * *

Tezuka was sent straight to hospital. Miraculously, no one was seriously injured other than Tezuka who’d had glass stabbed all over his back. It took hours to remove them all and Echizen was by his side the entire time. 

“I can’t believe you did that,” Echizen said again as the doctors left, leaving Tezuka bandaged and full of pain killers.

“I couldn’t let you be hurt,” Tezuka replied. “It would have killed you.”

“ _ You _ could have been killed!”

That hadn’t crossed Tezuka’s mind at all. He just couldn’t imagine a world without Echizen. “I’m your captain.”

Echizen’s hand found his own, it was just as warm as when they’d danced. He looked suddenly scared, an unnatural expression on the young superstar’s face. And then his warm, soft lips were pressed against Tezuka’s.

Tezuka’s brain shut down, unable to process this. Did Echizen like him too? Was this just a ‘thank you’? Echizen was raised in America after all-

Echizen pulled away and the heartbreaking look on his face kick started Tezuka’s brain

“No, come here,” he said, squeezing Echizen’s hand and using his free hand to rest on his waist. 

Echizen was immediately back in his personal space, his lips pressed against Tezuka’s. This time the kiss was passionate and messy, they only had minutes before the doctors returned and they’d have to stop touching each other. Echizen’s hands were his Tezuka’s hair, stroking and tugging so that his mouth was at the right angle. Their teeth clacked together and Echizen laughed softly as he re-positioned their faces.

“You like me?” Tezuka asked when Echizen finally pulled away.

Echizen rolled his eyes, “I’ve been making that obvious for months. I thought Fuji was lying when he said you hadn’t noticed!”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> When in doubt, drop a chandelier


End file.
